Illinois Leaps Ahead, Big Ten Dominates in Latest AP College Basketball Poll

Fourteen games into its season, lllinois basketball finally appears to be finding its footing. The general expectation was that the Illini would need some time to bring the soup of returners, seasoned recruits from abroad and freshman into a harmonious brew, and – at the risk of overheating an otherwise tasty metaphor – the flavors are starting to come forward.

Even sometimes-fickle AP voters seem to be noticing, with Monday's latest college basketball Top 25 poll lifting the Illini (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) from No. 20 to No. 16 in Week 9. Illinois was ranked No. 17 in the preseason and advanced as high as No. 8 earlier this season, but it hasn't climbed as high as its current slot since Week 6 after it toppled then-13th-ranked Tennessee in Nashville and then replaced it at No. 13 in the following week's poll.

No. 16 pic.twitter.com/DC5AAmXUeN
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 5, 2026

Are the Illini headed for a top-10 ranking?

Before we wade any deeper into the nitty-gritty of the poll, here's the usual caveat: arbitrary, subjective rankings don't have a great deal of value – and certainly aren't predictive. Consider: Last season, the AP poll's 16th-ranked team in Week 9 (Cincinnati) failed to even earn an NCAA Tournament bid. Meanwhile, the No. 18 team (Michigan State) went on to capture a No. 2 seed and make a run into the Elite Eight. They play the games for a reason.

That said, rankings give teams goals to strive for, motivate fan bases and can even attract attention from prospects that, over time, may help a school land a higher caliber of recruit. At the very least, Illini Nation should be heartened to know that Illinois is currently favored in all five of its games leading up to a showdown at Purdue on Jan. 24. If form holds, that's three weeks' worth of winning, which would very likely send the Illini back into the nation's top 10.

That won't be nearly as important as whether or not the Illini use that time to properly prepare and steel themselves for the No. 5 Boilermakers (not to mention road games at No. 10 Nebraska and No. 12 Michigan State in the first week of February). But as long as they keep their eyes on the bigger picture, a top-10 ranking can never be considered a bad thing.

The Big Ten in the AP Top 25

Complementary basketball.

Active hands from David lead to an exclamation point dunk for Z! pic.twitter.com/B7YzWiZfiJ
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 4, 2026

Michigan very nearly unseated Arizona, but the Wildcats received one more vote the Wolverines to hold them for at least one more week. Meanwhile, Purdue continues to stand strong and still-undefeated Nebraska has kept chopping wood all the way into the top 10.

The Spartans and Illini are followed by No. 19 Iowa to give the Big Ten six teams in the Top 25, with USC, Indiana and UCLA also receiving votes.

AP Top 25: 1. Arizona, 2. Michigan, 3. Iowa State, 4. UConn, 5. Purdue, 6. Duke, 7. Houston, 8. Gonzaga, 9. BYU, 10. Nebraska, 11. Vanderbilt, 12. Michigan State, 13. Alabama, 14. Texas Tech, 15. Arkansas, 16. Illinois, 17. North Carolina, 18. Georgia, 19. Iowa, 20. Louisville, 21. Tennessee, 22. Kansas, 23. Virginia, 24. SMU, 25. UCF.